REAPPEARANCE OF RARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE REPORTED IN SEVERAL CITIES

After an absence of several years, LGV (lymphogranuloma venereum), a rare sexually transmitted disease (STD) has returned to a number of major cities in the United States including Boston where there have been six confirmed cases of LGV so far this year. One patient in that city told a doctor at the Fenway Community Health Clinic that he suspects he caught the disease during a visit to Brazil. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring cases of the disease across the country which, at present, appear to be limited to men.

LGV spreads from genital bumps or lesions and can have serious consequences if left untreated. Among these are disfigured genitalia and permanent damage to the bowels. Symptoms include rectal bleeding, abdominal pain within days after exposure. LGV is treatable with antibiotics.